The
year-1931. Back in a holler in Pike County, Ohio, an unwed young
woman named Emma was expecting her child. Nothing extraordinary about
that, right? Happens every day. Except for the fact, Emma would always have the
mental capabilities of a 6 year old... and that same sweet,
humble Emma was taken advantage of by a man she would never
indict. No one would ever
know who did this to her for sure. She would never tell. Out of this unholy
union, a baby girl was born on June 4, 1932. She was named Miriam
Ruth - great Bible names for an illegitimate unwanted, child,
who would always be reminded of that. What shame.
Ruth,
as she was called, was born healthy and normal-mentally and
physically. In fact, she was very bright and creative. Born to a
mother who was mentally challenged, in a family of extreme poverty,
no doubt the census today would have been to abort. What kind of future could she possibly have? This was no 'planned parenthood.' After all, this was scandal. Oh, what
scandal! Emma's own mother- totally blind. One of Emma's two brothers- also slow in mind. Who can possibly take care of this child? It was
a challenge enough just to feed the family- so impoverished, they
didn't even know there was such a thing as the Great Depression,
because they were already living IN one every day! The 'New Deal and
a chicken in every pot' hadn't made it's way to this holler.
Survival was cow's milk and cornmeal mush. To this day, Ruth cannot
eat either. Some may say it would have been better if she were never born.
BUT God.
Emma
did indeed bear Ruth. Ruth grew up to bear
five children of her own. The youngest was named Lisa Jo. Yep, that
would be me. I own it. You know, no one wants to swell up their chest
bragging, “I don't even know who my grandfather is on my mother's
side.” What the enemy sowed in evil, God can get the
glory from. I would not be here today if it were not for the
grace and mercy of the Lord. I deeply understand that. My
life is consecrated to God- no matter my beginnings. You
see, before the foundation of the world, He said in His Word, I was chosen in Him.
Chosen. In. Him. You talk about a self-esteem booster! Almighty God
told Jeremiah, “Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew
thee; sanctified thee; ordained thee”...That's the God who created the worlds! And you know what? I can proudly proclaim, that I will
give Him the glory according to the good pleasure of His will-in my
generation. Some would say that's narcissistic and an illusion of grandeur. Maybe. Maybe not. Perhaps you should to take that up with Him, but I do remember studying that Jesus' family tree was not so green either. "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?"Let's Come and See what God can do!
